that will see a lot of wear and use. This oil based so clean up is more complicated and drying times are longer than water based, but it is also more rugged. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for General Finishes Oil Based Gel Topcoat, 1 Pint, Satin at Amazon.com. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2020. Instead of tearing out the existing cabinets or paying a professional to refinish them (both expensive options), I decided it was worth a few cans of paint to see if I could do it myself. Spray a second wet coat and dry for 2 hours. I tried Arm-R-Seal this past weekend for the first time, and have been very pleased with the results. I use Arm-R-Seal almost exclusively and love it. Same issue, just different patterned "artifacts". Latest Blog Entries | You just rub on the gel with a clean cloth. I will investigate more of their finishes in the future for sure. Produces a glossy shine finish, not satin, Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2019. In stock $ 14. Oil based stains must be completely dry before using a water based top coat. I’ve seen General Finishes products on the better woodworking websites and magazines, so I thought I’d give it a try, as finishing is not my strong point. I did not use the GF gel stain underneath as I have a lot of other stains already and wanted to use a color I already had. Not bad for a daily used end table! I used it along with the brown mahogany gel stain transforming pieces of my old entertainment center wall unit into some cute china cabinets as well as for a spare bathroom cabinet. Unfortunately they do not make a gel topcoat in semi or gloss; for that, you need their Arm-R-Seal Urethane Topcoat product. Made from the highest quality oils and resins, General Finishes Gel Topcoat offers a finish as resistant as polyurethane, which is completely non-toxic after curing (not recommended for cutting boards, butcher block or any surface … The point is to bring them the real facts." General Finishes Oil Based Topcoats. Thank you—that is really helpful. Even though General Finishes Gel Topcoat is thick, be sure to stir it well to reincorporate solids that have settled to the bottom of the can. Use only with adequate ventilation. General Finishes focuses on state of the art water-base finishes and waterbourne coatings, and is the country's leader in waterbased finish technology offering wood stains, dye stains, top coats, gel stains, exterior wood finishes, liquid oilbase stains, water based lacquers furniture paint. The cabinet now has a high gloss sheen instead of a satin finish. I used GF’s Arm-R-Seal and one of the rub on polyurethane on a table that I built in about 1976 and it still looks as good as new. DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. General Finishes next round of tutorial videos are on their way! We gave this china cabinet a two-toned finish using General Finishes, Java Gel Stain and Persimmon. A little product goes a long way so you don't need to purchase much. This product delivered in spades. ©2020 Verticalscope Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gel Topcoat Satin is a heavy duty oil and urethane oil base top coat, which produces a beautiful hand rubbed quality finish. Good to hear. I did some tests first– let the stain dry for 24 hours (Minwax and Varathane) and the GF Gel Topcoat worked fine. APPLYING GEL STAIN DIRECTLY TO LAMINATE: “Power clean” by scrubbing with a solution of water and a strong detergent such as Dawn or Spic & Span, using a Scotch-Brite pad. I thought the the General Finishes Gel TopCoat Satin would take some of the sheen away, but it only enhanced it. The 2.0 tip is too large for General Finishes High Performance Gloss when working with an Earlex 5500 sprayer. This acrylic and polyurethane topcoat will produce a beautiful furniture quality finish on any project. So, this is why they have the Gel Top Coat in satin….the stains give a satin look. It left brush marks in the cured finish. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. I had never stained anything before using these products and I was surprised at how easy they were to apply. Use enough material to provide a wet film. This page works best with JavaScript. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. In GF's finish line, you can use General Finishes Arm-R-Seal (this topcoat ambers) over dark colors and General Finishes High Performance over light colors. | Do Not Sell My Data From shop MKWoodStudio. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. General Finishes Satin Topcoat Gel Review. My kitchen cabinets now look brand new and I've invested very little money into the project!!! Just a light cleaning and very light sanding are all you need! I bought the Arm R Seal too, will try soon. After removing all the hardware, I prep my 90's golden oak cabinet using a degreaser and then do a very light sanding with 120 grit sand paper. manufacturers. To fix, sand the table lightly with 120-grit sandpaper and restain the table. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016. When I lived in Illinois I used GF products almost exclusively but here in California it is mail/web order only but I did like the results then so I guess it’s time to get on the web and order some. I selected satin. -- Have a blessed day! Oil-based products include General Finishes Gel Topcoat or General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. In stock $ 11. Always allow 72-hour dry time when applying water-based products over oil-based products. | Copyright You can still see all customer reviews for the product. 5 out of 5 stars (271) 271 reviews $ 12.99. General Finishes Gel Topcoat has been designed to provide a beautiful, hand-rubbed finish which is ideal for furniture, crafts, and woodworking projects. Arm-R-Seal is my favorite easy to use finish, with excellent results – despite my lack of expertise. Can’t make finishing too easy as far as I’m concerned. We will be releasing one per week for the month of November so stay tuned. Lightly sand with 320-grit sandpaper. We used both General Finishes High Performance Topcoat and Gel Topcoat in a satin finish to enhance its durability." which is an oil based top coat that “produces a beautiful hand rubbed quality finish” according to their website. The next day, apply the gel varnish using a soft brush. On a recent clock order, the customer wanted a satin finish. The good news is that this product went on very easily using a sock wipe-on technique so I am giving it 3 stars for that. The only downsides I saw were a.) Repeat the stain process once daily until it has reached your desired color. Latest Projects | 99. I made sure to follow the instructions and even watched their video about smoothing the finish with a stain brush. You can't mess this stuff up if you do your homework. My husband and I recently decided we were going to try to make some furniture and the first thing we made was a console table. We used General Finishes products to refinish our kitchen cabinets. What I was looking for was a finish that would go on easily, evenly and not hide the wood, so I selected the General Finishes Oil Based Gel Urethane Topcoat. I use both Arm-r-Seal and the Gel topcoat. Apply additional coats if darker color is desired. They told me I had to get General Finishes Enduro Clear Poly instead, which at the time was $99 for a gallon at my local store. Gel wood stains are heavy-bodied and do not penetrate as deeply into the wood as liquid oil-based wipe-on stains do, providing the deepest, richest colours of any oil-based stain available. The result is amazing. Gel Topcoat is thick, while Arm-R-Seal is much thinner, and is easier to apply large projects. - Gracefully Aged and Distressed I used the Gel stain to achieve the color I needed. I’ve seen General Finishes products on the better woodworking websites and magazines, so I thought I’d give it a try, as finishing is not my strong point. -- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. I had already bought General Finishes High Performance Topcoat ($22), so I had to call customer service. My shop is very dusty and small, so hard to keep dust out of my finish work usually. The lower cabinets get the most wear and cleaning and they were done a year ago. it’s a little messier than normal liquid stain and b.) Latest Forum Topics, Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal- For woodworkers of all levels (part 6), Handplanes Of Your Dreams, v2.0 - Sharp As Ever. ~Thomas Jefferson. I have always had semi-gloss as the preferred finish, but satin was his choice. I decided to try out their gel poly as well. Gel Stain from General Finishes is home of the popular Java Gel Stain featured across the nation’s social media for upcycling furniture and cabinets. After the third coat I wanted to stop, but since the coats are thin I gave it one more. Goes on smoothly, easily…doesn’t set-up quickly. they have a very subtle difference in how they bring out the colors of the wood. They’ve both been out for awhile. Slow drying. Level sand with 320-grit sandpaper. I put on 3 coats. Been sold on Arm R Seal for a while, but just because of my ignorance why did you pick the gel? 158 Reviews $ 1. With a little Cani was able to put 3 coats on my kitchen table and two coats on the chair seats and I still have a quarter can remaining! Just wipe it on like you were applying a polish. Arm-R-Seal Gel Satin Topcoat; Wood Bowl Finish; Butcher Block Oil; Outdoor Oil; GENERAL PRACTICE: Oil based topcoats and Enduro-Var will amber over time. You do not HAVE to put a top coat over the gel stains but it is recommended. (Not glossy if that's what you're looking for.) [email protected]. Definitely a believer now. GF developed this finish as a "sister" to GEL STAIN. Great product and so easy to use! If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. Gel Topcoat is available in satin. When layering water-based and oil-based products, increase the dry time: Water over oil: Let oil-based products dry 72+hrs; Oil over water: Let water-based products dry 24+hrs This is the second time I've used this product. Spray a third wet coat and allow to dry overnight. Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016, Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2016. General Finishes Java Gel Stain. The top coat is easy to work with depending on the wood and how large the surface is. I personally haven’t used the gel top coat but I hear some good things about it! Which means the wood does not have to prepped very much at all. It is durable enough to be used on floors. Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020. Wipe down with water mixed with 5% Denatured Alcohol. Apply liberally using smooth, even strokes going with the grain. This is after 2 coats. Does this level out pretty well? Sand between coats using 320 or 400 grit sandpaper. I tried the gel because that is supposedly the in thing now and would try it; they also make stains in gel which I might try. General Finishes also offers a Gel Stain Topcoat. Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2017. From General Finishes University, HOW TO APPLY GEL STAIN AND GEL TOPCOAT TO RAW WOOD. We used it because we didn't want to do all the sanding and prep required by other products. The gel stain may be a little more expensive than regular stain but is definitely worth it. I recently tried GF’s Candelite Gel Stain on a high-chair, and had mixed feelings about it. 1 coat Java Gel Stain applied over 1 coat Yellow Dye Stain, sealed with High Performance Topcoat satin. Excellent clear satin finish. It is a heavy duty oil and urethane oil base top coat, which produces a beautiful hand rubbed quality finish. It’s a bit expensive, at about $13 a pint, but for the results and the time and effort saved, it’s well worth it. Find more information about Oil Based Gel Stains here. I wipe on the General Finishes gel stain in 'Java' and wipe it back off using a soft cloth. General Finishes Gel Satin Topcoat, Pint Item #38154. I have always had semi-gloss as the preferred finish, but satin was his choice. To improve adherence of the stain, mix 2 parts Gel Stain with one part Gel Satin Topcoat. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It didn't look too difficult, and it wasn't. -- "It's fine in practise but it will never work in theory". CHARACTERISTICS I’ll give the gel a try one o these days. Appropriate for mill work, furniture, cabinets, garage doors, windows, decks, and more. General Finishes Gel Topcoat Application Steps. General Finishes gel stain is a heavy-bodied stain so it doesn’t penetrate wood as deep as the other oil-based stains. Just used this for the first time on an antique hoosier cabinet I was restoring. The General Finishes line of Gel Stain and Topcoat products is AMAZING. We then used the topcoat and applied two coats l, the topcoat is very thick, about as thick as petroleum jelly and a little bit goes a long way. Gel topcoat satin is an oil-based topcoat; Will amber while drying; For interior use only I ended up doing 4 coats, sanding VERY lightly between with some synthetic steel wool (after first 2 coats), then 200-grit sandpaper after the 3rd coat. General Finishes water based High Performance topcoat has a UV stabilizer to protect it from breaking down in sunlight and ensure that any underlying stains will not fade. General Finishes Antique White Milk Paint, Gallon + General Finishes Water Based High Performance Polyurethane Top Coat Semi-Gloss Gallon 2. d-c-fix 346-0478 … This gel stain works beautifully on wood. I have used them on both new wood and previously finished wood for over 20 years with consistently remarkable results. Try this product, you won't be disappointed. I used some hi-tech lintless industrial wipes for applying and wiping down, so that probably helped (I get them where I work). I first tried using this finish using their preferred method with a brush. In the end I really could not find any dust in the finish. It gave a nice,uniform stain, and was easy to apply without having to worry about it running on vertical parts. They look like now like we've just finished them. A 1/2 pint can of the gel stain was enough to do two coats. It is more on the gloss end than satin. 2 reviews. Qty . Rockler Foam Brush Set 24-Piece I did not even clean/vac up my shop before finishing. The finished effect was beautiful. I am not happy with this product and will not use it again. Gel satin is a thicker consistency, so there's no drips, runs or spills. I’m about to use this on some Maple that I stained using the Java. Then go over it one last time in the direction of the wood grain and it will self level into a nice, smooth finish. General Finishes provide tons of instructional videos at their website and their customers provide hands on experience on the GF Facebook group page. Apply as many coats of the mix as needed to obtain … The next day, apply another varnish coat. When used directly out of the can without a lot of stirring it acts like a gel-stain; the thick consistency slows down the penetration into the open pores of the grain which gives the user much more control of the application of the stain to the surface. I’ve been using GF exclusively for about 5 years now and can’t think of using anything else. I’ve used the Arm-R-Seal Satin Poly, and really like everything about it. Gel Stains are formulated with a combination of pigments, oils, and urethanes to produce a deep and durable finish. 5 out of 5 stars (648) ... General Finishes Gel Stain / Gel Topcoat RundownRustics. The Gel Topcoat is even easier to use than the Arm-R-Seal. If it had dried to a satin sheen, then I would have given it 5 stars. Then, sanded that off and tried using rags. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Water based top coats clean up with water. Will stick to tried and true products like Minwax wipe on poly, which is self leveling. Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2016. GEL TOP COAT. The smaller surface the better results, on the large surface the streaks are visible. Very pleased with the result. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, General Finishes Oil Based Gel Topcoat, 1 Quart, Satin, See all details for General Finishes Oil Based Gel Topcoat, 1 Quart, Satin, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. It's a wrap! Flat Out Flat Water Based Topcoat: Arm-R-Seal Oil Based Topcoat: Oil Based Gel Topcoat: Oil Based Wood Bowl Finish: Exterior 450 Water Based Topcoat: Oil Based Seal-a-Cell (Clear) Wood Turner's Finish: Enduro Water Based Sanding Sealer: Enduro Pre-Cat Lacquer: Enduro Clear Poly: Enduro Conversion 2K Varnish: Enduro-Var Water Based Urethane Topcoat General Finishes Gel Satin Topcoat, 1/2 Pint Item #34379. Nooo thank you. Rating Review: 4.6 stars out of 5. -- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." Since it is typically used for more than 1 type of stain, they offer it in different finishes. Saved thousands in Kitchen Cabinet Renovation, Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2016. Wait a minimum of 48 hours before applying GF High Performance. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. I wanted to try the GF wipe-on because I heard it dries quickly and helps eliminate some of the issue of getting dust in the finish. - Abraham Lincoln. After 3 coats, the finish was a bit glossier than what I had wanted. It gives a nice and unique … Anyway, very impressed with this stuff, and will not hesitate to use it again. After the 2nd coat it started looking pretty nice. Water based Flat Out Flat and High Performance top coats dry clear. Almost like a hand rubbed tongue-oil finish, but super glassy smooth. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Do one area at a time as I found that it got tacky fairly quickly. In summary, General Finishes Java Gel Stain and Gel Satin TopCoat are my go to products for professional grade results, easy application, variety of finishes and water borne options. Terms of Service It is amazing! I used General Finishes Gray Gel Stain to stain our dark mahogany colored wet bar. I spoke to a GF Rep at a home builders show last year and this is what he told me about the Arm-R-Seal and the Gel Top Coat: The Gel Top Coat is formulated to give the same appearance when cured as just the gel stains by themselves. Use a foam brush or paint pad applicator. The first cabinet I did has stood up to rough bathroom use for 3 years and it still looks like new. Manage Consent. A pint of each would do a whole kitchen. General Finishes calls this product a ‘semi-gel’ stain because of the amount of pigment in the product. Here are a few pictures of the cabinet before, after 1 coat, and after 3 coats stain and 2 coats varnish. 99 Half Pint. From shop RundownRustics. I had never stained anything before using these products and I was surprised at how easy they were to apply. Cleans up with soap and water. Gel satin has a thicker consistency, so there are no drips, runs or spills. General Finishes Gel Stain on knotty pine. I cleaned the piece REALLY well, and used a tack cloth first, but I did not go crazy cleaning my shop first like I've done before the finishing stage on other work. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user. 5 out of 5 stars (596) 596 reviews $ 18.95 FREE shipping Favorite for it to be dry to the touch and be handled without smudging, instead of the 24 hours per the label (in near perfect temp and humidity conditions per the label) before I was able to apply the second coat. I was very, very pleased. The General Finishes line of Gel Stain and Topcoat products is AMAZING. Spray a wet coat of General Finishes Enduro-Var Gloss and dry for 2 hours. My husband grabbed a can of Miniwax stain at Home Depot to do some shelves and it looked horrible in comparison to the General Finishes gel stain. Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2015. On a recent clock order, the customer wanted a satin finish. | http://newmissionworkshop.com. This video demonstrates the application of a gel topcoat finish that is easy and gives excellent results. The Arm-R-Seal can be used over any stain but it will alter the appearance of the gel stains more than it would their regular polyurethane stains. I bought this to finish a Mission style coffee table I was hired to build. -- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground. Keep your dust collector fed. it can be annoying to wipe out of crevices. 99 Pint. Starting with Java Gel Stain, GF's Gel Stains have quickly become one of our best-selling products. A custom mix of Snow White and Lamp Black provided the perfect soft gray for the cabinet. I asked a question here about how the GF Gel Topcoat would work over other brands of stain but the answers weren't really definitive, but I took a chance that it would work okay over OIL-BASED stains by diff. Thnx for your review. If desired, thin the topcoat with 10-15% mineral spirits. | Privacy Policy It's a little on the pricey side, but well worth it for a finish you'll love. Day 2: Level sand with 320-grit sandpaper. I primarily use satin finish, so I like it a lot. Compared to a typical brush-on poly, this goes on in much thinner coats, so you need to plan on more coats to give your wood the same level of protection. Add to Cart. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Took about 48 hrs. gel topcoat GF's Newest Video - How to Apply GF Gel Stain and Gel Topcoat to Raw Wood ... Posted on November 3rd, 2015 in DIY Furniture & Projects Blog. We used two socks to apply the stain and it looked great. Make sure you wipe any runs and drips from the edges and corners of the openings as you go along. Never use any water based topcoat with long oils such as Danish, Tung or Linseed. He also said that the Arm-R-Seal is quite a bit more resilient than the gel top coat so it is recomended over the gel top coat for things like tables, counters etc. -- "I am a firm believer in the people. One of the causes of orange peel is the application of too much fluid and not enough atomization to break the product up into smaller droplets. I’d never seen in print the distinction in use between them. Favorite Add to More colors General Finishes Gel Stain MKWoodStudio. I’ll have to try the gel next time if it’s easier than the oil varnish mix. I went on the GF website and watched their how-to videos, and also went on YouTube and watched some videos by other folks who used this. If you want fast build or a soft satin sheen, use oil based GEL SATIN Topcoat. We recommend that you use a 1.5mm tip instead. My husband and I recently decided we were going to try to make some furniture and the first thing we made was a …